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The Ultimate Green Product

RECYCLE, IT'S THE NATURAL THING TO DO™

No Industry Is Greener Than Gardening

No industry is greener than gardening, and Proven Winners is constantly working to refine and improve our offerings for the North American garden and aid the nursery industry in using the best in new plant and production materials. We are committed to doing this by providing the education and service to gardeners everywhere that helps them succeed.

And, from our inception 15 years ago, Proven Winners has made this same commitment to sustainable production practices in every one of our facilities in order to provide plants that are not only better for gardeners, but that are ultimately better for the environment too.

It All Starts With a Better Plant

• The right plant for all places: A plant with poor genetics or a limited range of performance requires more chemical inputs to survive and perform. Proven Winners searches the world to find and select plants which are clearly superior to others of their type in our trials in Michigan, New Hampshire, California, Germany, Japan, and Florida. This selection process translates into better performance for the home owner with fewer chemical inputs. These plants are more resistant to disease and insect pests, have heat and humidity tolerance and the broadest geographic range of superior performance. All of which means they require fewer insecticides and fungicides, perform well at lower fertility levels, and overall are just tougher, proven performers.

• Start healthy – stay healthy: In addition to strenuous testing for consumer performance, Proven Winners goes the extra step in protecting our plants and the consumers who use them. Every Proven Winners plant has been screened of all plant disease and viral organisms. It is not a fast or inexpensive process and usually amounts to about $5,000.00 per plant. Why do we do it? So that when the plants arrive at your local garden center, we know we have done everything possible to assure our consumers of the healthiest plant possible. It is really a simple concept – the gardener is more likely to succeed and value Proven Winners if they start with the healthiest plant possible, and we want people to remember Proven Winners as the best plants they have grown! Hence the slogan: A Better Garden Begins with a Better Plant.

• Educate for success: One of the biggest causes of environmental pollution is a lack of education. We have a primary commitment to our consumers, and to that end our website is the gardener’s link to experts in all aspects of gardening and garden ideas. If we don’t know the answer we will send you to the people who do; because if our consumers are well informed they will have more success in their garden and make fewer mistakes that may have environmental impact. Our website, webmail, and publications reach millions of gardeners annually with accurate information tailored to their specific location: advice on which plants do best in their area, how to water and fertilize, seasonal issues such as pruning and overwintering, lifestyle concepts, and most of all a commitment to their success.

Produced by Facilities That View Sustainability as the Way to Do Business

A better plant is even more beautiful in a world that takes care of the environment that grows and creates it. And that’s why the Proven Winners companies have continued to make a commitment to sustainability production practices.

• We recycle a lot of material – and buy recycled products – every day: From the cardboard shipping cases we use made from (part) recycled material, to our shipping crates made of renewable wood, to the part recycled aluminum used in our greenhouse structures, Proven Winners companies are invested in using recycled materials. The trays we use are washed for re-use, and even our planting media is part recycled.

• Proven Winners branded containers are recyclable: Our branded containers have the recycle logo printed in large type on the side to remind consumers to recycle. The statement “Recycle – It’s the Natural Thing to Do™” appears next to the recycle logo.

• Saving energy: Proven Winners greenhouse facilities are equipped with energy efficient lighting to help save energy. Plus, the material used in our greenhouse structures itself is highly energy efficient, meaning that at many times of year, the sun is our main source of energy and heat! And, many of our facilities are equipped with energy curtains that conserve heat during cold weather and provide shade on sunny days.

• Saving water: Proven Winners greenhouse facilities recapture and reuse significant amounts of water. Many of our greenhouse facilities are equipped with flood floors that reuse water. Also, in our production process we group plants according to water needs and soil type, allowing us to deliver the right amount of water needed by each plant – resulting in little waste. And, our high tech watering systems reduce overall waste of water and fertilizer.

To help consumers save water, we offer low water usage plant varieties such as succulents and native plants. And, our new Proven Winners WaterWise® container watering system helps consumers grow better plants by applying the right amount of water plants need – when they need it.

• Shipping More Locally: Proven Winners companies are located strategically throughout North America to provide young plants to finished growers that can serve their own local retail markets. This means that finished plants do not need to travel far to reach the end consumer.

Resulting in Proven Winners – The Ultimate Green Product

But best of all, Proven Winners companies provide the ultimate green product – plants. Not only are Proven Winners better plants – trailed and tested for gardening success like no other – but they also remove carbon from the atmosphere and are themselves 100% recyclable; everything can be composted on site. After the beauty of a Proven Winners plant has faded, they increase the benefit to your garden by adding organic matter to your soil.

Proven Winners will continue to work hard to provide the best in new plants, production materials and methods, and knowledge. We remain committed providing more beautiful gardens through education and service to gardeners everywhere. If you have any suggestions to help us improve, please share your ideas here.